Toronto Sports - Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, Raptors, Argonauts, Rogers Cup, Honda Indy Toronto Sports Toronto Sports Enjoy Fast-moving, High-drama Sports Action in a Sports Passionate City If you love sports, you cannot ignore Toronto sports events. The city has a long and illustrious history in various sports events. Toronto is a huge sports city and is a home to top-notch professional hockey, baseball, basketball, football and soccer teams. Toronto sports teams provide year-round nail-biting action. You can enjoy fast-moving hockey games of the Maple Leafs and action-packed basketball matches of the Raptors between October and April. While the Blue Jays, Argonauts and Toronto FC play their games in summer. These Toronto sports teams have brought laurels to Toronto by winning championship titles and have a strong fan base in and around the city. Toronto sports fan are passionate about the game and they support their team vocally. On the game day, the atmosphere in Toronto is absolutely electrifying with fanatic fans flooding the streets of the city wearing their team clothing - cap, jerseys and hoodies. Pubs and restaurants across the city fill up on game days as the local team take on their opponents.

Top picks for cheap Toronto Sports Tickets Venues For Toronto Sports Teams' Home Games Air Canada Centre The Air Canada Centre is an ultra-modern sports-cum-entertainment arena located in the heart of Toronto. Considered as the 'sacred' place by many Torontonians, it is a battlefield where Maple Leafs fans come together to root for their beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto Rocks call the Air Canada Centre their 'home' as it changes from hockey rink to basketball court to lacrosse field. Equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities for both the spectators and entertainers, it is also a great venue for live concerts, shows and other community events. Rogers Centre Home to the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts, the Rogers Centre is a versatile sports and entertainment complex. Previously known as the SkyDome, it's an engineering marvel renowned for its fully retractable roof. It has one of the largest video boards anywhere in the world, presenting live action as it happens on the field along with interesting statistics of the game. It's also a first baseball stadium in the world to feature full-fledged hotel built into it.

The Rogers Centre is the only stadium outside the US to host the World Series in 1992 and 1993, eventually won by the Blue Jays. So Toronto Sports fans have some unforgettable memories associated with the Rogers Centre. When not used for sports activities, the Centre hosts live concerts, events, auto shows, political and religious speeches and even circuses. BMO Field With a capacity of 22,000, BMO field is an open-air stadium primarily built for soccer games. It is home of the Toronto FC and Canadian national soccer team. Watching a Toronto FC game at the BMO Field is one of the most amazing experiences in Toronto. Remember to wear some red! Its small size is actually a great bonus for the spectators. Every seat in the stadium guarantees you a mind-blowing view of the game. From its west stands, you will also get breathtaking view of Toronto skyline. Located on the grounds of Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario, the stadium is easily accessible by Go Transit and TTC. Ample parking is also available near the stadium at cheap rates.

Other Top-notch Toronto Sports Events Honda Indy Toronto The Honda Indy Toronto is a spellbinding racing event held annually in every July at the makeshift racing circuit near the Exhibition Place and stunning Lake Ontario. You get a chance to see some of the fastest cars on planet competing in several fierce races over a period of 3 days. Undoubtedly, the IZOD IndyCar series is the most thrilling and popular among the crowd. With a wide array of off-track exhibits, live entertainment and interactive games, the Honda Indy Toronto is one of the best summer events to enjoy with family and friends. And the good news is that admission is FREE on opening day! So get ready to experience the amazing smell and sound at the Exhibition Place circuit. Vroom, vroom, vroom! For more first-hand information and pictures, see Honda Indy Toronto Rogers Cup Game, Set, Match! Get up close and personal with some of world's top tennis players as they compete against each other for the high-profile Rogers Cup. Originally known as the Canada Master or the Canadian Open, the event is one of the oldest ongoing tennis tournaments after Wimbledon and the US Open.

Currently referred as the Rogers Cup, the men's and women's events are held annually in August, with the events being rotated between Toronto and Montreal each year. Over a period of time, some of the best stars in men's and women's tennis have displayed their charisma and extraordinary talent on Canadian courts. Now, it's time for you to enjoy the same excitement of action-packed tennis event at Rexall Centre in Toronto and Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. Find Cheap Rogers Cup Tickets 2012 Buy your Rogers Cup Toronto Men's Event tickets to cheer your favourite players including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and many other world class players as they display incredible show of speed, power and grace. Rogers Cup Mens Event, 2012 in Toronto - TicketLiquidator | Ticketnetwork Driving Downtown - Toronto's Sports Street - Toronto Canada - YouTube Driving Downtown - Toronto's Sports Street - Toronto Canada Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jul 31, 2016 Driving Downtown Streets - Bremner Boulevard - Toronto Ontario Canada - Episode 28. Starting Point: Fort York Boulevard - . Toronto has teams in nearly every major professional sport, including the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Rock (NLL), Toronto FC (MLS), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL). Throughout the sports world, Toronto is perhaps best known for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although Toronto has not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, the city is renowned as a hockey town. Air Canada Centre (home of the Leafs, Raptors, and Rock) and Rogers Centre (home of the Argonauts and Blue Jays) are located in the downtown core and are within walking distance from one another via Bremner Boulevard. The Rogers Centre was the first stadium to have a fully retractable motorized roof. BMO Field (home of Toronto FC) and Ricoh Coliseum (home of the Toronto Marlies) are located at Exhibition Place, situated just outside the downtown core, while also being within walking distance from one another.

Hockey The city is known for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, a team with passionate support in the city, and the most financially successful sport franchise in the country. The team built Maple Leaf Gardens, a sporting venue which served as the home arena for the Maple Leafs, and was also used for cultural and other events. Since 1999, they have played in the Air Canada Centre. Baseball Professional baseball has had a presence in the city at the minor league level since 1896 with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the AAA International League. It was in a game against the Leafs on September 4, 1914 at Hanlan's Point Stadium where Babe Ruth hit his first ever professional home run[17] while also pitching a complete game one-hitter for the visiting Providence Grays. Hall of famer Sparky Anderson was also a member of the Leafs as both a player and a manager. The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The team plays its home games at the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome).

Basketball The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian-based team in the NBA. They originally played their home games at the SkyDome (since renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), before moving eastward along Bremner Boulevard to the Air Canada Centre in 1999. Football Toronto is home to the oldest professional football team in North America, the Toronto Argonauts, who have won the Grey Cup championship a record 15 times. Toronto has also played host to the Grey Cup Championship 46 times, more than any other city and most recently the 100th Grey Cup in 2012, which was won by the home town Argonauts.

The Argos were founded in 1873 by the Argonaut Rowing Club, and is referred to as the Boatmen in honour of that heritage. The team is also known as the double blue because of the franchise colours (Oxford blue and Cambridge blue); the colour blue has become emblematic of the city and most of its sport franchises. The Argos also draw the highest per-game attendance of any sports team in Toronto and draw the second highest per-game TV ratings nationally of any Toronto-based sports team (after the Maple Leafs hockey club). In the early 1970s, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited announced plans to apply for a second Canadian Football League team to be based in Toronto which would play at Varsity Stadium, but the proposal never went anywhere.[137][138][139] During his tenure as owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ballard repeatedly threatened to move the franchise to Varsity Stadium,[140] but the move was vetoed by the Argos.

Blue Jays: Toronto's Sports Teams Echo the Diversity of the City | Bleacher Report Blue Jays: Toronto's Sports Teams Echo the Diversity of the City Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Jamie Squire/Getty Images 1 Comment It is a difficult point to try and measure how much the multiculturalism of Toronto affects the popularity of their sports teams, but it is an issue worth looking at. Canada as a whole is known for its diversity, and Toronto is at the forefront of that. Toronto also leads Canada with the amount of professional sports teams that it supports; hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, football and lacrosse. So does Toronto's ethnic diversity allow the city to support certain teams that other cities could not? Or are these independent facts about Toronto completely unrelated? Also, due to the diversity of the fan base in Toronto, are teams more successful financially with a more internationally diverse roster? The easiest team to look at immediately is the Toronto Raptors, who are known throughout the NBA as having a very European roster and style of play.

The team's GM Bryan Colangelo made waves this past off-season when they signed coveted free agent Hedo Turkoglu, from Istanbul, who apparently was attracted to Toronto above other cities because of the strong Turkish population. Colangelo also surprised many when he drafted Andrea Barnagni, from Rome, Italy, first overall in the 2006 draft. Then there is Jose Calderon, from Villanueva de la Serena, Spain, Rasho Nestorovic from Slovenia and Marco Belinelli, also from Italy. The Toronto Raptors have enjoyed an impressive attendance record for several seasons now, so is this due to the emergence of Chris Bosh as one of the premier power forwards in the league or their occasional flirtations with success? Or perhaps does it have something to do with their roster, and how their players can appeal to so many different demographics in this diverse city? Another interesting case is that of Toronto FC, part of North America's Major League Soccer. They were an immediate sensation as soon as it was announced that Toronto was getting its own soccer team, consistently having stellar attendance and enjoying a devoted fan base throughout the city.

Now take a look at the home countries of its roster; Cameroon, Gambia, Serbia, Russia, Argentina, Latvia, and of course, USA and Canada. That is an impressive representation of international talent for one team to have. This of course is made easier by soccer being one of the most prevalent sports in the world, if not the most popular, thus making it far easier to find talent throughout the world. But think about how the makeup of this team affects its support. If you are a young soccer fan, perhaps recently immigrated from Serbia or Gambia, how much more likely are you to support a player if they are from your home country? The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most successful franchises in sports, being valued at over $400 million, which leads the NHL. For a team that consistently sells out, the purpose in expanding their fan base isn't to attract more people to the arena, but to sell more merchandise. Hockey, due to the expense of playing the game and the facilities necessary, isn't a game that is found all over the world, limiting itself primarily to North America and European countries.

When the Maple Leafs drafted talented centre Nazem Kadri in 2009, they were looking at his impressive skill-set and tenacity. What came along with it was the attention of an entirely new section of Toronto's population. Kadri is the fourth player of Lebanese descent to play in the NHL, the first Muslim ever drafted by the Leafs and the second ever drafted into the NHL after Ramzi Abid. How much this might affect either the Leafs success financially is difficult to assess, but the trickle-down effect could be priceless in future years. You suddenly have a young Muslim man with a chance to become the star centre of the biggest franchise in professional hockey. You have a role model for young players to look up to, now believing it is possible to make it to the NHL. The parents of these young hockey players are attending their child's games and possibly following the progress of Leafs, you have an entirely new culture emerging that might not have been possible before. Now, there is the Toronto Blue Jays, setting new records for attendance lows this year despite a winning record so far.

Looking at the other teams that are finding financial success in Toronto's unique market, a question could be asked; would the Blue Jays have more people coming to the games if they fielded a more international roster? Looking at the stars of the Blue Jays roster first; you have Vernon Wells, Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Ricky Romero, who are from Louisiana, Indiana and California respectively. This isn't really a surprise, as the US supplies most of the players for the MLB in the same way that Canada supplies most the players for the NHL. Looking at the rest of the Jays roster, there is a definitely a good international representation, with players hailing from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican. But a surprising amount of those players are new this year, such as Alex Gonzalez and Jose Molina, Edwin Encarnacion was traded here late last year. That doesn't give a lot of time for fans to get to know these players and show their support. This obviously isn't to suggest that the Jays have been avoiding these players; it is more that they do not have the same clout as many of the other teams in the league to attract international free agents.

Many of the stars who come from Japan or Cuba for instance are highly coveted free agents and are pursued with promises of large contracts and a prominent place on the team. This may be changing for the Blue Jays with new GM Alex Anthopoulos, who recently signed the sought after Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. If the attendance woes continue for the Blue Jays, they may be wise to look at how other teams have found success in this market and work on marketing their players to Toronto's diverse ethnic population. Or perhaps they just need to find a way to pry Japanese hero Ichiro Suzuki away from Seattle . Update: Since this article was originally written, the Blue Jays have acquired Yunel Escobar in a trade for Alex Gonzalez. They have also signed two young players from Venezuela to professional contracts; RHP Adonis Cardona and 3B Gabriel Cenas. They have increased their scouting in the Caribbean and Central/South American countries that former GM J.P. Ricciardi ignored, saying that there was too much risk. Anthopoulos has recognized that yes, there is a risk involved, but there is also potential for high reward, an opportunity to acquire high-impact players that will make a difference in the tough American League East.

The Raptors have also parted ways with Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglo in a much publicized signing with the Miami Heat and a trade with the Phoenix Suns. They signed Lithuanian player Linas Kleiza to a multi-year contract. Toronto rated worst city for pro sports in ESPN standings | Toronto Star Sports Toronto rated worst city for pro sports in ESPN standings Toronto is the worst city in North America for pro sports, according to rankings by ESPN The Magazine. By Kenyon WallaceToronto Star Mon., June 20, 2011 We might have 11 Stanley Cup wins and two World Series rings — not to mention several trips to the NBA playoffs — but apparently Toronto is the worst city in North America for pro sports. Yes, despite the past successes of the Maple Leafs, the Blue Jays and the Raptors — and the much-loved traditions and dedicated followings each team has cultivated — Toronto teams are worse than those that have never won anything, according to ESPN The Magazine’s ninth annual Ultimate Standings.

The standings purport to rank each professional sports team in North America according to a weighted average that takes into account team performance versus the amount of money fans spend on games, the quality of venue, how easy it is to like the players, the honesty, openness and loyalty of management, the strength of coaching, and championship records and prospects for the future. And when the authors averaged the rankings of each Toronto pro sports team (Major League Soccer and the Canadian Football League were not included) against those in other cities that have one or more teams, Toronto came in last. Take the Leafs, for example. According to ESPN, they are the worst team in the NHL across all categories, including “bang for the buck,” a measurement of how well teams convert fan dollars from tickets, concessions and parking into wins. Article Continued Below “The Maple Leafs are like the Yankees,” said Peter Keating, ESPN senior writer and lead author of the standings.

“You have this team in the biggest city in the country with this great history and an avid fan base charging huge prices, but they don’t make the playoffs.” That prognosis was enough to raise the ire of Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke, who dismissed the findings of the report Monday as “absurd and offensive.” “I don’t think ESPN knows squat about Canada. I don’t think they know squat about hockey,” Burke told reporters. As for the Raptors, Canada’s only NBA team didn’t fare much better, finishing just two spots from the bottom, in front of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings. The Raptors scored particularly low in coaching and players. The Blue Jays were the best performing Toronto team, at 18 out of 30, outscoring the Red Sox and the Yankees on affordability and bang for the buck. The No. 1 overall franchise was this year’s Super Bowl champs the Green Bay Packers, followed by the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. The overall worst-ranking team was the Cincinnati Bengals. To come up with their rankings, ESPN conducted a poll of 1,003 self-identified sports fans across the continent, asking them to rank 21 categories, such as player effort and avenues for fan feedback.

The network then asked fans to rate their favourite teams across those 21 categories online. About 70,000 responses were then whittled down to seven of the eight categories used for the purposes of the standings. Then, researchers at the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center determined “bang for the buck” by comparing ticket prices, concessions, parking, and the cost of living in each city, among other things, to the team’s record. Finally, each team’s score for each category was combined to create a weighted average to allow for comparison across cities and sports. “Does a dollar investment as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan actually give you more return than if you were a St. Louis Cardinals fan or an Oakland Raiders fan? That’s what we are trying to find out,” said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center and supervisor of the financial crunching portion of the standings. He does concede that if you want to win, sometimes money talks. “There are certain markets where teams have been successful, and in some cases, fans really have to pay that premium,” he said.

“You go to a Yankees game, yeah, you’re getting what you want, but you’re paying a lot for it.” But while winning matters to fans, it’s not the only thing that keeps the crowds coming, Keating says. “Every year we expect championships to be the most important thing, but actually, they’re not. Player effort, commitment by ownership, and affordability are usually the top three,” he said. “Fans say over and over again they would rather have players and owners that are committed to trying to win, year in, year out, than actual titles.” One need not look any further than Toronto to see that, at least, is true. Sports Tours Sports Tours We specialize in customized Sports Tours for Toronto. Toronto boasts many professional and semi-professional teams including: * Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) * Toronto FC [Football Club] (MLS) * Toronto Rock (NLL) * Toronto Marlies In addition to "watching the game", we can also customize your trip to include transportation to and from Toronto, a guided tour of Toronto, airport meet and greet, as well as coordinate meals at any of our fine dining establishments.

For a complete listing of ALL our services, please visit: Services If you have any questions or would like to make a booking please contact us via E-MAIL, phone or fax us. Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s American League. They are the first and only team outside the United States to win a World Series, the first team to win a World Series in Canada, and the fastest AL expansion franchise to win a World Series (winning in their 16th year, beating the Kansas City Royals' record by one year). Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The organization, one of the "Original Six" members of the NHL, is officially known as the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and is the leading subsidiary of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE). They have played at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) since 1999, after 68 years at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto. Founded in 1873, they are one of the oldest extant professional sports teams in North America. The Argonauts have won the Grey Cup championship a record fifteen times, most recently in 2004. They play their home games at Rogers Centre. Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian team in the NBA. They originally played their home games in the SkyDome, before moving to the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in 1999. Toronto Rock The Toronto Rock are a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the Air Canada Centre. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years.

From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record five straight championship games. In ten seasons, they have an 11-4 record in playoff games. Toronto FC Toronto FC, commonly known simply as TFC, is a Canadian professional soccer club located in Toronto, and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer (MLS). Toronto FC sold all of its first and second year season tickets, as well as all of the 16,000 season tickets for the 2009 MLS season. Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Toronto at the Ricoh Coliseum. They are one of two teams who are in the same market as their NHL affiliate (the other team is the Philadelphia Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers).

ALL ABOUT TORONTO Toronto, Ontario M2J 1Z5 Canada Phone: 416-495-8687 Fax: 416-496-9711 Toronto Blue Jays overtake Toronto Maple Leafs as most-followed Canadian sports franchise on Twitter | PanamericanWorld Home » Articles » Toronto Blue Jays overtake Toronto Maple Leafs as most-followed Canadian sports franchise on Twitter Toronto Blue Jays overtake Toronto Maple Leafs as most-followed Canadian sports franchise on Twitter Toronto Blue Jays overtake Toronto Maple Leafs as most-followed Canadian sports franchise on Twitter Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista acknowledges the crowd after hitting a three-run home run in Game 5. Bautista, known as @JoeyBats19 on Twitter, is a frequent user of social media. Photo by The Canadian Press Posted by PanamericanWorld on October 18, 2015 It was bound to happen. With the Toronto Blue Jays dominating the sports focus in Canada, the baseball club’s official Twitter account (@BlueJays) has officially surged passed the Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) for most followed sports club in Canada.

Why the Toronto Blue Jays need David Price to prove he is a playoff pitcher The official outpacing took place this past Tuesday, with over 15,000 followers added the day before Toronto’s victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. With the American League Championship Series against Kansas City underway, the Blue Jays have over 1.059 million followers. The Maple Leafs sit in second at 1.037 million. Success on the field is the obvious main ingredient, but the close connection to its fan base is a close second. “One of the factors we see is that so many of the players are connected to the fans on Twitter. I think has a tremendous amount of value,” said Christopher Doyle, Director, Media at Twitter Canada. “Fans really feel connected to this team and I think you saw that after the game five win when they were out there still celebrating with the fans.” Many Jays are on Twitter including David Price (@DAVIDprice14), who regularly retweets players and replies to followers. The management of the Blue Jays social media accounts presents another factor.

“They push people to use Twitter in stadium because they know people are on Twitter during the game and they give you a lot of behind the scenes content as well which makes you feel that much more connected with the team as a fan,” Doyle adds. Research conducted by Twitter Canada last month concluded Canadian hockey fans value social media engagement with their favourite player 1.5 times more than they value an autograph from their favourite player. Since September 15th the Jays have gained over 64,000 followers on Twitter. With each day the Blue Jays survive, the Jays’ account is expected to swell in follower count. Other findings from Twitter’s survey are telling. Although the Maple Leafs have the largest follower count in hockey, when indexed against the city’s population, their per capita ranking among Canadian teams is last at 5.9:1. The largest amount of followers per capita belongs to the Winnipeg Jets with a 2.6:1 ratio. Twitter’s “Three Stars of Hockey” represents Canada hockey fans’ favourite personalities. Canadien’s defenceman P.K. Subban was most favourite, followed by Hockey Night in Canada personality Don Cherry and Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Link To Full Article: Will the Blue Jays trade Drew Storen? | BLUE JAYS WATCH | Baseball | Sports | To Will the Blue Jays trade Drew Storen? By Bob Elliott , Toronto Sun First posted: Saturday, May 21, 2016 08:00 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, May 21, 2016 08:05 PM EDT Are the Blue Jays trying to trade reliever Drew Storen? (AP/PHOTO) Article Pillar sizzles defensively for Blue Jays ... again MINNESOTA - Usually two clubs a combined 23 games under .500 don’t draw a lot of scouts in the month of May. When this series began, the Jays were four games under (19-23) and the Twins were 19 below water level (10-29), yet they drew a crowd of evaluators. And one name of a player that the Blue Jays have told teams is available via trade is reliever Drew Storen as the Jays search for bullpen help.

Scouts from the Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants were watching the Jays-Twins series. Storen pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Friday with the Jays up 9-2. Facing Storen, Eduardo Nunez flew out, Joe Mauer singled, Miguel Sano struck out and Trevor Plouffe popped up. BUFFALO NEWS Second baseman Devon Travis doubled in four trips as the triple-A Buffalo Bisons lost to Pawtucket Red Sox before 8,656 fans at Coca-Cola Field on Saturday as he continues his rehab ... Lefty Aaron Loup has arrived at Buffalo on a rehab assignment. NUMBERS Kevin Pillar recorded his sixth assist when he threw out Eduardo Nunez at third base. Nunez tagged at second and tried to advance on a Sano fly ball in the fourth. Leonys Martin of the Seattle Mariners, Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Boston Red Sox and Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets each had five assists coming into Saturday’s play ...

With his third homer in as many games, Michael Saunders is hitting .327 (35-for-107) against the Twins and .333 (17-for-51) at Target Field ... Jose Bautista drew his AL-leading 37th walk in the eighth. He has reached safely in 27 of 29 games against the Twins, hitting .351 (40-for-114) against Minnesota and .358 (29-for-81) at Target Field ... The Twins have hit 40 homers this season. Nunez’s three-run homer was only the 10th with a man on base, as the other 30 have been solo shots. HAPP-Y SEVEN INNINGS J.A. Happ rebounded from his worst outing — eight runs on seven hits and a walk in two innings facing the Tampa Bay Rays — and was completely in control heading into the eighth. “It’s hard to say they were better than us, but that’s the fact of the matter,” Happ told reporters. “Ball through the five-hole, a walk and a slap hit and that’s the game. It’s tough to take.

“Other than that eighth, I felt really good about it. Even with that eighth, that’s going to happen. The game was close and it got away from us there.” Manager John Gibbons said Happ “couldn’t have pitched any better.” “But then the lead-off hit and the walk, walks always, in tight games, they’re guaranteed to burn you — it’s like the baseball gods punishing you,” Gibbons said. MOLITOR MONITORIING Twins manager Paul Molitor was impressed with Jays’ Marco Estrada, who pitched the series opener, allowing one earned run in eight innings, saying “You know his M.O. He’s got that changeup that’s just as tough, rigthies and lefties. He’s got a nice mix. He knows how to pitch. we didn’t barrel up very many balls. We had a couple opportunities early. Then he shut us down.” FUN IN SUN Toronto catcher Andrew Yerzy drove in three runs while Wesley Moore of Surrey, B.C., and Carson Perkins of Bienfait, Sask., limited the Chicago Cubs’ Dominican rookie-class team to one run and six hits, as the Canadian Junior National Team scored a 5-1 win. Tyler Duncan of Sooke, B.C.

doubled down the right-field line while Yerzy had an RBI single and a two-run double giving him eight RBIs. BLUE JAYS WATCH By Bob Elliott , Toronto Sun First posted: Maple Leafs’ Nick Spaling almost caught Jose Bautista’s home-run ball from Game 5 ALDS | Toronto Star Maple Leafs’ Nick Spaling almost caught Jose Bautista’s home-run ball from Game 5 ALDS Ball just landed out of reach of Spaling, Kadri as they enjoyed epic game. By Mark Zwolinski Sports reporter Thu., Oct. 15, 2015 About half the Maple Leafs scored tickets for the Blue Jays series-clinching win over Texas and two, Nazem Kadri and Nick Spaling, almost got more than they bargained for. “Yeah, we were right there, it hit right in front of us,” Spaling said of the game-winning homer by Jose Bautista in the seventh inning of the Jays eventual 6-3 win. “I was gonna reach for it and catch it but . . . maybe if we could have been one seat lower.

Naz was all over me, I should have got it.” Spaling would likely have fallen over the railing of the second deck, where the two Leafs were perched for the game. Replays of the homer show two figures, one in a baseball cap, reaching over the barrier in an attempt to catch the ball. It landed in the first-level seating, just out of their reach. The guy in the hat was Spaling, the guy without one was Kadri. Article Continued Below “We were right there, Kadri said. “It was pretty cool, we couldn’t get to it (the homer), but it was right there. Maybe one seat lower and we’d of had it . . . Nick almost got a hand on it.” Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista, right, celebrates his three-run home run with teammate Russell Martin during seventh inning game five American League Division Series playoff baseball action against the Texas Rangers in Toronto on Wednesday, October 14, 2015. (Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS) The Leafs were back on the ice Thursday morning for the final of four consecutive practices before a pair of road games this weekend in Columbus and Pittsburgh.

James Reimer gets the start Friday against Columbus, where the Leafs will face David Clarkson for the first time since he was dealt to the Blue Jackets last year. Jonathan Bernier gets the net for a highly anticipated meeting with Phil Kessel and the Penguins. But about half the team took in the Jays game Wednesday, including Spaling, Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul, Reimer, Dion Phaneuf, Brad Boyes, and Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly. Some were just a few rows above the Jays dugout. “Maybe the best sporting event I’ve ever seen, and certainly the best baseball game I’ve been to,” Lupul said. “I went to the Ryder Cup in Medina, outside of Chicago, and that was a cool sporting event. Last night (Wednesday) was a great game, but the way it played out, you couldn’t script that. All my interviews now, I just talk about the Blue Jays, I don’t have to talk about hockey anymore.” Coach Mike Babcock, for the second consecutive day, began his press srcum with “how about them Jays . . .

” “It’s pretty exciting for the city of Toronto and for our players to see how excited the fans get when you put together a winner,” Babcock added. “It was a great event for our players to be at.” But the coach has not taken his foot off the pedal in terms of pushing his team for better execution and overall performance. Part of the process has been getting his top centres — Kadri and Tyler Bozak — to study video of two of Babcock’s former charges — all-star centres Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg — who evolved from scoring forwards to award-winning two-way players who could also score. “Yeah, for sure, I’ve been watching lots of video on them and you learn from it,” Kadri said. “Datsyuk didn’t know that part of the game at first (back checking and defensive responsibilities as a centre), but by the end he was winning Selke trophies (most outstanding defensive forward).” Babcock said the team has to be strong up the middle from the goalie out. “But your cente has to be strong, they set the tone . . . sometimes you starve to death if you don’t have your centres doing their jobs,” Babcock said.

NOTE: Shawn Mathias (shoulder) will be back in the lineup after missing a game. He’ll likely be on a line with Kadri and Brad Boyes. Soaring Blue Jays have got Toronto – and Canada – back in love with baseball | Sport | The Guardian Toronto Blue Jays Soaring Blue Jays have got Toronto – and Canada – back in love with baseball Canada’s only MLB team have not made the postseason in 21 years but as current leaders of the American League East the team are enthusing legions of fans The Toronto Blue Jays have inspired unheard of levels of excitement among their supporters. Photograph: Dan Hamilton/USA Today Sports Monday 7 September 2015 13.12 EDT Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 08.18 EDT Close This article is 1 year old The Toronto Blue Jays have not made the MLB postseason in 21 years, the longest playoff drought in major league sports. Right now, however, they are first in the American League East. As a result, their city is re-energized.

Only eight banners hang above the JumboTron at Rogers Centre: two are for World Series wins and four for American League East division titles, all from the 1980s and early 1990s. But the Jays lead the New York Yankees by a game and a half. On Sunday afternoon, they beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-4 , with three home runs. As new and old fans filed into the stadium, a man played electric guitar while singing “Go Blue Jays” over and over. The nearby Loose Moose restaurant played a song that bashed the Yankees through its speakers. The crowd was a sea of blue and white. One woman held up a sign that read: “Will trade kids 4 a win.” The occasional red shirt highlighted the unique position the Jays find themselves in: as the only MLB team in Canada, they represent a nation. Robyn Angus and Gord Lyons, longtime fans from Mississauga, agreed that the team has the entire country behind them, citing a recent increase in TV viewership across Canada.

According to Marketing Magazine , Blue Jays viewership has risen from 609,000 to an average 1.29 million this year, an increase of 112% on last year. The number of Google searches for the term “Blue Jays” has also risen dramatically in several provinces since trades were made for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and pitcher David Price, according to Google Trends . In a city that is used to losing – Toronto’s baseball, hockey (Maple Leafs), and basketball (Raptors) teams have only made the playoffs five times since 2004 – fans are ready for a win. Signs scattered throughout the Jays’ stadium boasted about the new and widespread audience the team has gained. “We drove all the way from Manhattan,” one said; another, held by a couple, read: “1st time at a Jays game, Go Jays Go!” “I usually go to two games a season, but this year this is already my fifth game,” Toronto resident Emily Burns said, citing the “better atmosphere” as a main cause.

“I don’t like the fact that the number of people parking nearby has doubled and it’s a three-inning wait for a hot dog,” Gord Lyons, said with a laugh. “But I love [the atmosphere]. It’s great.” While most fans said this spike in popularity had led to a more enjoyable experience, one fan from Toronto who did not want to give her name said: “All these people have jumped on the bandwagon now. Where were they when we needed them?” Victor Kotylak, a longtime fan, replied: “I come out a couple of times a year, win or lose. Bandwagon jumpers or not, I’m in.” According to the Globe and Mail, ticket sales have quadrupled , with some home-game resale tickets being relisted for more than $11,000 . Furthermore, 1,400 Troy Tulowitzki and David Price jerseys and T-shirts were sold in the first four days after their arrival. The Jays’ recent success has even helped local businesses . Despite numerous competing events on Sunday – including the Canadian National Exhibition, the Canadian International Air Show, and Toronto Comicon – the Orioles game was sold out. Among the crowd, a young girl held up a sign.

It read: “Most Magical Place on Earth. Disney World? Nope. Rogers Centre.” Two decades of misery: A guide to Toronto’s losing generation « Special Reports In many ways Toronto is a great city. Just how bad have Toronto sports teams been? The following graph shows the winning percentage for the Leafs, Raptors, Jays and TFC since the Raptors’ inaugural season in 1995-96. It tops out at .700 as no team has had a winning percentage higher than .625 during this span. * The Maple Leafs’ .000 winning percentage in 2004-05 was due to an NHL lockout season. While the politics of the Big Smoke have become a satirist’s dream in recent years, for a metropolis of its size Toronto is very clean, remarkably safe, and consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world. But for all of its merits there is one way Toronto is a cesspool and arguably the worst city in North America: the quality of its professional sports teams. Over the last two decades this town has put on a clinic in sporting ineptitude, leaving an entire generation with no recollection of a major North American championship.

Toronto’s flagship sports franchise, the Toronto Maple Leafs, haven’t won the Stanley Cup in almost 50 years, the Blue Jays currently possess the longest playoff drought in Major League Baseball, Toronto FC has yet to make the postseason, and the Raptors are only recently showing signs of life. In light of the city’s epic struggles to field a competent professional team the Toronto Observer takes you on a guided tour of the barren wasteland that has been a Toronto sports fan’s experience over the last 20 years. Rather predictably, it begins with the Maple Leafs. Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be John Wooden, Hall of Fame NCAA basketball coach Twice this season, Toronto Maple Leafs fans have thrown jerseys on the ice, fed up with losing. While the schedule is still young the team has not had success since 1967. It has been 47 years since hockey fans in Toronto have been able to call their beloved Leafs champs, but with a fan base that has become more passionate in recent years; the result has just meant bigger heartache.

“It didn’t seem like that big of a deal then, because it was a six team league then and they had won a couple cups in the ’60s, but it has become a big deal since,” says long-time Leafs fan Larry Kries. “It certainly didn’t feel like it was the end of the line.” The last mention of the Toronto Maple Leafs on the Stanley Cup. Adrian Berg/Flickr Creative Commons In the last 20 years, the Leafs have made the playoffs 10 times and achieved limited postseason success in those seasons. On four occassions, the club made the conference final (1993, 1994, 1999, 2002), losing each time. Team after team have failed to repeat what the ’67 Leafs have done. To 62-year-old Kries, who has seen the highs and the lows, the pinnacle of continued failure was met in the third period against Boston in 2013, when the Leafs squandered a 4-1 lead . “That was devastating, I have never felt so bad about a game in my life,” says Kries.

“That just pulled the guts right out of me.” The Toronto Maple Leafs shake hands with the Boston Bruins after their Game Seven loss on May 13th 2013. slidingsideways/Flickr Creative Commons For years the Leafs Achilles heal has been their ability to sell tickets and make money regardless of the quality on the ice. Forbes magazine, in July, named the Maple Leafs as the only NHL team worth over a billion dollars. Though, it is no secret to the Leaf faithful that the crowd is largely filled with business moguls and executives and not the passionate fans that stand by their team. “I think they should take the people from the inside and switch them with the people outside,” says Kries, referring to the fans gathered at Maple Leaf square during the 2013 playoffs. “Those people outside were the true fans, they were the ones who got excited. “You don’t even get the sense there is energy in that building [Air Canada Centre] anymore.” Maple Leaf Square displayed the true passion fans have for their Leafs. Though the loss was heartbreaking, the anger and sadness felt by fans further showed just how much people care about Toronto’s biggest team.

Jerseys thrown on the ice are something the team and many hate to see, but it makes a statement, the statement that the fans who have been loyal to this franchise for far too long believe that they deserve better. “False hope is a terrible thing, if it's the only thing keeping you alive you'll be dead by dawn.” Charlie Rae, singer/songwriter Another Toronto FC season is in the books, with the club once again unable to clinch its first playoff berth in franchise history. It is the eighth straight year Toronto has missed the playoffs, a Major League Soccer record. Not only does Toronto have the longest current playoff drought, they are also the only side to have never qualified for the playoffs in league history. “I’m really not surprised [that TFC missed the playoffs] to be honest with you,” said Anton Saric, a former season ticket holder.

“That’s what TFC always does, promises big but delivers little … if any team could screw this up [after all the big signings], you just knew it would be Toronto.” TFC’s Coaching History • Aron Winter Jan 6, 2011 – June 7, 2012 • Paul Mariner June 7, 2012 – Jan 7, 2013 • Ryan Nelsen Jan 7, 2013 – Aug 31, 2014 • Greg Vanney Aug 31, 2014 – ? In January, MLSE President and CEO Tim Leiweke announced the signings of Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley for a club-record sum of $100-million. Jermain Defoe hangs his head during another disappointing day at the office. Amil Delic/Flickr Creative Commons ‘It’s a bloody big deal’, fans were told on multiple occasions as the club doled out a transfer fee for Defoe and Bradley that was only $21-million less than Forbes’ valuation for the entire franchise .

Expectations were sky-high in the city, as many supporters pondered the possibility of an MLS Championship and assumed the playoffs were a mere formality. With Toronto finishing on the outside looking in once again, fan apathy and frustration may reach a fever-pitch. “Supporters are tired of the constant rebuilding and the club’s general lack of direction,” said Saric. “It’s a big reason I finally made the difficult decision to give up my season seats.” Since their inception in 2006, TFC has seen a steady decline in season tickets and attendance at BMO Field, due in large part to the club’s mismanagement and seemingly never-ending parade of new coaches, players and systems. In only eight seasons, the club has had nine different head coaches. The last two years have been particularly troubling for Toronto, as attendance has dipped to slightly over 18,000 per match (from well over 20,000 in prior seasons). Toronto’s average attendance dropped to 10th in the league in 2012, after previously finishing no lower than third.

To put TFC’s futility in perspective, their Canadian counterparts, the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact, both made the playoffs in their second seasons. I have a horror of not rising above mediocrity. Robert Baldwin, Premier of Canada West 1843-1848 A ticket from the last Toronto Blue Jays playoff game over 21 years ago. Andrew Badgley/Flickr Creative Commons For fans of the Toronto Blue Jays, following the 2014 World Series hasn’t been easy. They’ve watched the Kansas City Royals break a 29 year playoff drought with a World Series run that revived baseball in their market. In the process, Kansas City has handed Canada’s only Major League Baseball team the “honour” of holding the longest postseason drought in North American sports. What about the Argos? The Blue Jays used to be the toast of Toronto. Now, they’re often a source of frustration for an entire generation of fans who don’t know what a baseball playoff game feels like. “I don’t remember watching the World Series games specifically,” said Matt English, six years old in 1993 and now a 27 year-old season ticket holder.

“But I do remember a general aura of baseball surrounding the city in my childhood.” That aura is what the Blue Jays have struggled to recapture. Some stars have left marks in spite of the drought. Players like Carlos Delgado, Roy Halladay, and Jose Bautista became household names in the city. However, splashy improvements from the addition Roger Clemens, to the Marlins blockbuster that brought Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes, to hiring a protege of Billy Beane haven’t translated into success. Perhaps there was no greater disappointment than the 2013 season. Expectations soared after trades with the Mets and Marlins. Instead of living up to the hype, the club lost 88 games and frustration among Toronto’s baseball fans reached its apex. “[2013 was] the first time in my adult life that I can remember a genuine buzz about the team,” said English. “And then to spend all that money, and to [watch them] fail so spectacularly, in so many ways. It was just exhausting and heartbreaking to watch it all fall apart.” Despite the frustrations of recent seasons, a flood of emotions will be released, English predicted, if the Blue Jays return to October.

“The whole city shut down for the Raptors,” he said. “I think it would be even bigger for the Jays. Give us a playoff game, and we’ll be packing Yonge Street like maniacs. “The spirit of 1993 isn’t dead, it’s just dormant.” There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for. J.R.R. Tolkien, Author Vince Carter was one of the first Raptors to break fans' hearts. He wouldn't be the last. RJ Ursua/Flickr Creative Commons On the surface the Raptors appear to be an unlikely saviour for Toronto sports fans. The franchise recently celebrated its 20th season and it has only two division titles and one playoff series win to show for its efforts. The Raptors have only won more games than they’ve lost in a quarter of their seasons and have posted a putrid .417 overall winning percentage since they broke into the NBA in the 1995-1996. The team has garnered more attention for stars they’ve lost like Vince Carter, Tracey McGrady, and Chris Bosh than rosters they’ve assembled.

Despite their status as perennial non-contenders, the Raptors experienced a reversal of fortune in 2013-2014, putting up a franchise-best 48 wins on the way to an Atlantic Division title. While the team has shown promise in individual seasons before, last year felt different. The atmosphere surrounding the team began to shift with the hiring of Masai Ujiri, the reigning NBA Executive of the Year. Ujiri changed the face of the roster with the midseason trade of Rudy Gay and galvanized the fan base with a controversial exclamation aimed at the Brooklyn Nets , the team’s first round playoff opponent. The Raptors' new slogans can now be found all over the Air Canada Centre Ian Muttoo/Flickr Creative Commons During that series Toronto rallied behind the Raptors like never before. A rebranding of the squad centred around the slogans “We the North” and “Northern Uprising” instilled a sense of pride in a long-suffering fan base and “Jurassic Park”, the name Raptors fans gave Maple Leaf Square, was packed every night of the seven game series. The league took notice: fans and players alike.

“I’ve heard so many stories of how it was [during the playoffs],” said Will Cherry, a rookie point guard who signed with the Raptors in August. “The fans are geared and ready to go. That’s the kind of crowd I love to play for.” Although the Raptors ended up making a first round exit at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets, they have kept the team together by retaining star point guard Kyle Lowry. They head into the 2014-2015 season with a proven core, a strong identity, and a sense of momentum. In this city there’s no other team that can say the same. The conversation continues with a Toronto Observer exclusive radio roundtable

Question: Which city has sports teams known as the 'Maple Leafs' and the 'Blue Jays'?
Answer: Toronto